Paul Goldschmidt helped St. Louis to a 6-3 win over San Diego on Monday, going 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk. Goldschmidt provided some key insurance runs with his two-run blast in the bottom of the seventh, padding the Cardinals' lead in the late innings. The big fly was Goldschmidt's 11th of the season, all of which have come since April 29. He's been especially hot over the past few weeks, blasting nine homers with eight doubles and 28 RBIs over his last 16 games. Goldschmidt was ice-cold through the first two weeks of the season but has been on an absolute tear since then, batting .413 with 25 extra-base hits (11 homers) and 41 RBIs over his last 35 games to vault himself into the NL MVP conversation. It's been quite a run for the former MVP runner-up, who now leads the NL in hits, slugging, OPS, and total bases. While the 34-year-old will cool off eventually, he's re-established himself as one of the premier hitters in the game.
Logan Webb settled for a no-decision on Monday despite holding the Phillies to three runs on four hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts over eight innings. Monday was the definition of a boom-or-bust start for Webb, who allowed three solo homers and a single while racking up a season-high 10 strikeouts. The trio of homers was surprising given that he'd only allowed two in 53 1/3 innings this season, but Philadelphia does have a potent lineup and he was due for some regression in that area. While the eight innings matched a season-high for Webb, he did not receive a victory despite notching his seventh quality start in 10 outings this year, as the game wasn't decided until the 10th inning. Webb has been very consistent this year with three earned runs allowed or less in nine of his 10 starts this year, resulting in a 3.52 ERA. Webb has a friendly road matchup against the Marlins his next time out, where he'll look to snap his streak of three straight no-decisions.
Gio Urshela was a bright spot in a losing effort for the Twins on Monday, going 3-for-4 with a double, a homer, two runs, and two RBIs against the Tigers. Urshela fell a triple shy of the cycle and swatted a solo shot in the sixth, but it wasn't quite enough as Minnesota fell to Detroit, 7-5. The long ball was Urshela's second in as many days and fifth of the year, four of which have come since May 14. He's finishing May on fire after a rough start to the month, batting .358 with four homers and 15 RBIs over his last 15 games. His .732 OPS is an improvement over last year's .720 mark, but is still a ways off from his .881 figure with the Yankees in 2019 and 2020 combined. His plate discipline has improved dramatically from last year, as a 20:109 BB/K ratio played a role in his undoing during his final year in New York. If he can maintain this year's 15:22 BB/K ratio, his numbers should be in much better shape going forward, especially if the rest of the Twins continue to hit as well.
Kyle Shwarber went 2-for-4 with a solo homer against the Giants on Monday. Schwarber enjoyed his first multi-hit game since May 20, snapping a 1-for-23 slump in the process. More importantly, he belted a clutch game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings, although Philly ultimately fell in 10. The long ball was Schwarber's 11th of the season but first since May 21, as he's struggled to get in a groove for his new team. His .188 average and .723 OPS are both hugely disappointing, especially for a batter who's been hitting leadoff lately. His NL-high 64 strikeouts have been a problem, accounting for 32% of his plate appearances this year. Schwarber didn't hit his stride until June last year, however, so fantasy managers should continue to be patient with him as he adjusts to his new team.
Nolan Gorman powered the Cardinals to a 6-3 win over the Padres on Monday, going 3-for-3 with a two-run homer, two runs scored, and a walk. Gorman turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead with his second career MLB homer in the bottom of the third, giving St. Louis a lead it would never relinquish. The 22-year-old rookie has been on a rollercoaster ride since debuting on May 20. He went 5-for-10 in his first three games, was hitless in his next four games, and now has had seven hits (including two homers) over his past three contests. His overall numbers are excellent (.387 average, 1.149 OPS), but more ups and downs should be expected from the rookie going forward. His upside makes him worth adding and rostering if he's still available, but don't be surprised if he hits an extended rough patch later this summer once the book gets out on him.
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